Page 51 - Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE 35 ;
"'Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can
see for yourself that the League has a vacancy, and there is
the address where you should apply for particulars. As far as
I can make out, the League was founded by an American
millionaire, Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar in his
ways. He was himself red-headed, and he had a great sym-
pathy for all red-headed men ; so, when he died, it was found
that he had left his enormous fortune in the hands of trustees,
with instructions to apply the interest to the providing of easy
berths to men whose hair is of that color. From all I hear it
is splendid pay, and very little to do.'
" * But,' said I, ' there would be millions of red-headed men
who would apply.'
" ' You
' Not so many as you might think,' he answered.
see it is really confined to Londoners, and to grown men.
This American had started from London when he was young,
and he wanted to do the old town a good turn. Then, again,
I have heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light
red, or dark red, or anything but real bright, blazing, fiery red.
Now, if you cared to apply, Mr. Wilson, you would just walk in
but perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put your-
self out of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds.'
" Now, it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for yourselves,
that my hair is of a very full and rich tint, so that it seemed
to me that, if there was to be any competition in the matter, I
stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever met.
Vincent Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that I
thought he might prove useful, so I just ordered him to put
up the shutters for the day, and to come right away with me.
He was very willing to have a holiday, so we shut the business
up, and started off for the address that was given us in the
advertisement.
" I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes.
From north, south, east, and west every man who had a shade
of red in his hair had tramped into the city to answer the
advertisement. Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk,